Apparatus for unwinding motion-picture films.



E. B. FEASTER.

APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING MOTION PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1913.

1, 1 1 ,5 Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.'

E. B. FEASTER.

APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING MOTION PICTURE FILMS.

Patented NOV. 10, 1914.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1913.

3 SEEETS-SHEET 2.

mim am B. B. FEASTER. APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING MOTION PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29,1913. 1 16,5w

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. FEASTEB, OF COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOZIK- TO BYRON CHANDLER,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR UNWINDING MOTION-PICTURE FILMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

Application filed January 29, 1913. Serial No. 744,970.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that l[, 'EDWABD B. FEASTER, citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Platte and State of Nebraska,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forUnwinding Motion-Picture Films, of which the following is a full, clear,concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a device for feeding a film strip, such. as iscommonly used in connection with motion-picture machines, from the filmholder or carrier of the machine.

More specifically it relates to means for unwinding a coil ofmotion-picture film from its center outward, whereby said coil, afterbeing taken up upon the receiving reel, is ready to be replaced upon theholder or carrier and can again be used in the machine without thecustomary re-winding of the coil. 1 am aware of the fact that thedesirability of a device for accomplishing this purpose has long beenappreciated and that numerous attempts have been made to satisfy thedemand therefor. am aware, however, none of these attempts have beencommercially successful. lln some cases the unwinding of the coil fromthe center has been attempted by pulling upon the innermost convolutionof the coil, the film as it is uncoiled being bent laterally to escapethe remaining convolutions. In such cases the strain upon the coil byreason of such pull is exerted in a broken line, that is, it is exertedupon the film while it is twisted, and hence there is a tendency tobreak or injure the film. Others have attempted to avoid this lastmentioned didlculty by positively driving the coil holder or carrier inorder to avoid the strain upon the twisted portion of the coil. Thislast mentioned method, however, requires an accurately regulatedvariable drive of the carrier, since, as the coil is unwound, the lengthof the innermost coil increases. So far as l am aware such attempts tounwind the coil from the center have been found to be impractical, anddespite the inconvenience of rewinding each film before it is againused, none of the devices for rendering such rewincling unnecessaryhave, so far as I am aware, gone into commercial use.

My invention is designed to avoid the objectionable features of both ofthe above- ;So far as I mentioned types of apparatus, and this iseffected by pulling upon the innermost convolution of the coil to unwindthe same, the pulling strain being exertedonly upon that portion of thefilm which is in line with the coil which is being unwound. Hence thatportion of the film which is twisted or distorted is absolutely freefrom any strain or pull, thus rendering it absolutely impossible for thedevice of my invention to accidentally break or tear the film.

My invention may be embodied in the motion-picture machine as originallyconstructed or it may be in the nature of an attachment which is capableof use in conjunction with the usual apparatus.

The several features of my invention may be more readily understood byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation of a motion picture machine having my invention embodiedtherein; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier and its associatedparts, showing the manner in which the film coil is fed; Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4'lof Fig. 3; the film coil being shown in top plan; Fig. 5 is a section onthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an inside elevation of one of the twoseparable members of the take-up or re ceiving reel; Fig. 7 is adiametrical section of said reel; and Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 4of a modified form of the device.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the ordinary type of projection apparatus isillustrated in a conventional form and it is to be understood that,except for those parts which relate particularly to my invention and areset forth in detail, the machine may otherwise be of the usual or anyother suitable construction.

lhe means by which the film after it is unwound from the coil is passedthrough the projecting apparatus, and the projecting ap paratus itselfmay be of any suitable construction, such means forming not part of mypresent invention.

Referring to the drawings, the casin of the projecting apparatus isdesignate the reference numeral 1. The picture film 2 is fed throughthis casing in the usual manner and is taken up or wound upon thereceiving reel 3, preferably a reel'such as is hereinafter described. Incase the device of my invention is used as an attachment for theordinary machine, the usual holding reel 4 may if desired be used in thefirst instance, the coil film being fed therefrom in the usual mannerand wound upon the reel 3.

Heretofore it has been customary to rewind the coil from the receivingreel. In the case of my invention, however, the receiving reel is soconstructed that the side members thereof are separable from each otherin order that the coil as a whole may he slipped therefrom. A receivingreel of such construction is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in which one of theside disks 5 is secured to and carried by a central hub 6 and the otherside disk 7 is provided with an interiorly extending sleeve 8 adapted tofit about the hub 6. The two parts of the reel are held together by anaxle 9 having thereon a strip 10 which presses against the disk 7, theend of the axle 9 being threaded to receive a re taining nut 11. Byunthreading the nut 11 the reel may be removed from the axle 9, afterwhich the two disks 5 and 7 may be separated, the coil of film remainingupon the disk 7 about the sleeve 8. The sleeve 8 is longitudinallyslitted at some point in its circumference, as at 12, in order that,when said sleeve is removed from the hub 6, said sleeve will springinward and loosen from the coil. Thereupon the coil can be readilyslipped as a whole from the parts "7 and 8. The coil, as it is thusremoved from the receiving reel, is placed upon the carrier 13. Saidcarrier preferably is freely rotatable and is also preferably disposedin a horizontal plane. Said carrier is supported, through ball bearings14, upon a horizontally disposed shelf 15. The upper surface of theshelf 15 is provided with a central stationary disk 16 forming an axisof rotation for the carrier 13. The carrier 13 is thus preferably in theform of a flat ring which surrounds the stationary disk 16.

In order that the coil of film 2 may not slip from the carrier 13 uponthe central disk 16, I provide the disk 16 at its circum ference with aguard railing. This guard railing preferably comprises a series ofvertical, rotatable posts 17, supported between the disk 16 and a topring 18. The diameter of said disk 16 is somewhat less than the diameterof the sleeve 8 of the receiving reel in order that the coil vmayreadily slip over said railing.

Mounted above the disk 16 is a feed device for unwinding the .coil fromits center. Said feed device is preferably in the form of a sprocketroller 19 and its opposed guard rollers 20, 20. The rollers 19, 20 maybe of any suitable construction, such as, for example, those that arecommonly used for feeding films of this character. My invention, so faras this feature is concerned,

jure the film, the best results are obtained by mounting the feed devicein perpendicular relation to the disk 16, and near the cirumferencethereof.

The feed device is positively driven, preferably in the mannerhereinafter described,

and being located adjacent the inner convo-.

lution of the coil, the pull upon the coil is exerted in such mannerthat there is no tendency to tear. or injure the same. The strain uponthe coil is further minimized by reason of the carrier 13 being freelyrotatable, the slightest pull upon the inner convolution of the coilcausing the carrier 13 to revolve and to thus freely unwind the coil asrequired by the feed device.

In actual practice I have found it desirable to locate the feed deviceupon that side of the disk 16 which is nearest to the ordinary feedsprocket 21 and its guard roller 22. In such a case the film 2, after itleaves the feed device 19, 20, is curved upward and, by graduallytwisting, is turned from a vertical to a horizontal position, said filmbeing in a vertical position as it leaves the feed device 19, 20 and ina horizontal position at the time it reaches the feed device 21, 22.

The film, after it leaves the feed device 19, 20, may be carried overone or more idlers, the function of which is merely to support thatportion of the film which extends between the two feed devices. One ofsuch idlers is shown as a roller 23 and its opposed guard roller 24,between which rollers the film passes. The rollers 23, 24 preferablycontact with the film only at the edges thereof in order that thesensitive surface of the film may not be scratched or marred. Anothersupporting roller 25 may also be provided if desired. The angularrelation at which the rollers 23, 2% and 25 are placed should be thatwhich the film naturally assumes as it is carried from the first to thesecond of said feed devices, the object of said idler rollers being notto guide but merely to support said film.

The sprocket roller 21 is driven in the usual or in any suitable manneras, for example, through a series of gears 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 from thedrive shaft 31 of the machine, such drive shaft being rotated in theusual manner by the hand crank 32. The shaft which carries the sprocketroller 21 is provided with a bevel gear 33. Meshing with this bevel gear33 is a similar gear 34 carried upon one end of a shaft 35. The oppositeend of the shaft 35 extends below the shelf 15 and is provided with abevel 11,1 mean it t gear 36 which meshes with a similar gear 37 carriedupon the lower end of a shaft 38. The lower end of the shaft 38 isjournaled in a bracket 39 which is secured underneath the shelf 15. Theshaft 38 extends through the shelf 15 and the central disk 16, the upperend of said shaft 38 having secured thereto the sprocket feed roller 19hereinbefore described.

The gear connection just described between. the sprocketroller 19 andthe sprocket roller 21 is such that both of said rollers are positivelydriven at the same rate of speed. It is thus evident that the film isfed through the feed device 21, 22 at the same rate that it is fedthrough the feed device 19, 20, and thus any pull or strain upon thatportion of the film extending between the two feed devices is obviated.This provision of means for preventing any strain or pull upon thetwisted portion of the film is one of the important features of myinvention.

As hereinbefore described, the film 2 is fed through the projectionapparatus 1 in the usual manner, and after it leaves said apparatus iswound about the receiving reel 3. The reel 3 may be driven in the usualor any other suitable manner, the drive in the case illustrated beingthrough the medium of a belt 10.

In order that the inner end of the film may be readily threaded throughthe feed device 19, Q0, the shaft 38 is preferably pivoted at its lowerend so as to permit of a slight lateral rocking motion of said shaft.With this end in view a slot 41 is provided in the shelf 15 and disk 16and said shaft extends through said slot. El. slide-bar 4.2, for rockingthe shaft 33, is secured upon the underside of the shelf 15 by means ofscrews 43, 13 which extends through slots 44, at in said slide-bar. Saidslide-bar is normally held by the spring 45 in such position that thesprocket roller 19 is in its operative position. However, when it isrequired initially to insert the end of the film, the slidebar t2 may bepulled out for a slight distance against the tension of the spring 45,thus rocking the shaft 38 and feed roller 19 carried thereby. The feedroller 19 is thus drawn to one side and the film can be readily insertedbetween said feed roller 19 and the guard roller 20.

Tn Fig. 8 I have shown a modification designed to guard the film fromcontact with the guard railing of the central disk 16. In this modifiedform there are provided, in addition to the rollers 17, a series ofopposed rollers 46. Placed about the rollers 17, and between saidrollers and the opposed rollers 46 is an endless belt 47, which travelswith the film coil 2 as the carrier 13 is rotated. The film 2 is thusheld out of contact with the rollers 17, and, since it does not slidethereover, the possibility of said film being marred or scratched byengagement with the rollers is minimized.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a coil of film,after being first wound upon the receiving reel, 3, can readily beslipped therefrom upon the table 13 and about the railing formed by theposts 17. The inner end of the film is then led through the feed device19 and 20, which operation is facilitated by pulling upon the lever 42 uto draw the roller 19 to one side. The end of the film is then led overthe idlers 23, 223 and through the feed devices 21, 22. the end of thefilm being inserted underneath the usual retaining clip 48 (see Fig. 6)of the receiving wheel. Thereupon, upon turning the crank 32, the filmis freely unwound from its center or inner convolution. and afterpassing through the projecting apparatus is wound upon the receivingreel Uwing to the fact that the carrier 13 is freely rotatable, theslightest pull upon the inner convolution of the fihn will cause saidtable to rotate. thereby permitting the said film to be freely fed fromthe coil. it will also be noted that that portion of the coil which istwisted, that is, the portion between the two feed devices is preventedfrom being stretched or pulled upon. in actual practice l have foundthat the film never umps the sprocket roller 19, owing to the method inwhich it is fed thereto. If. for any reason, the film should jump thesprocket roller 21. and thereby tend to pull upon the portion of thefilm between the two teed devices. an inclined emergency roller 49mounted upon the disk 16 catches said film and prevents it from beingtwisted or distorted. thereby preventing the accidental breaking}; ofthe film. in the normal operation of the device. however. the film doesnot come in. contact with the emergency roller 49. and such omen gencyroller may be dispensed with if desired.

Having thus described my invention. what i claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described. the combination of a carrierfor holding a coil of film. and eoil-unwindiug means eteerting a pullupon the innermost convolution of the coil in line with the film as itis unwound froin the coil.

2. In a machine of the character described. the combination of a freelyrotatable carrier for holding a roil of film. and means for pulling uponthe innermost convolution of the coil to unwind the same from thecenter. said means being located inward of the convolutions of the coiland the film extending in an unbroken line from the coil to said pullingmeans.

3. In a machine of the character descrihcwl. the combination of arotatable carrier for holding a coil of film, and a positively drivensprocket located inward oi the convolutious of the coil, said filmextending in an unlr-roken line from the coil to said sprocket andhaving openings for receiving the teeth of said sprocket.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acarrier for supporting a coil of film, of a positively driven feeddevice adjacent the inner convolution of said coil for unwinding saidcoil from its center.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acarrier for supporting a coil of film, of a positively driven feeddevice located adjacent the inner convolution of the coil and disposedin angular relation to the supporting surface of said carrier forunwinding said coil from its center.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with afreely rotatable carrier for supporting a coil of film, of a positivelydriven feed device for unwinding said coil from its center, said feeddevice being located inward of the convolutions of said coil when thecoil is in position upon said carrier.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acentral stationary disk, of a carrier rotatable about said central diskas an axis, said carrier forming a support for a coil of film, and apositively driven fced device mounted upon said central disk forunwinding said coil of film from its center.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acentral stationary disk, of a carrier rotatable about said central diskas an axis, said carrier forming a support for a coil of film, anupstanding railing secured to said disk near the circumference thereof,and a positively driven feed device located within the circumference ofsaid railing for unwinding said coil of film from its center.

3). In a. motion-picture machine, the combination with the drive shaftof said mahine, of a rotatable carrier for holding a chine, of arotatable carrier for holding a coil of film, a feed sprocket locatedadjacent the axis of said carrier for unwinding said coil from itscenter, and means for drivjing said feed sprocket from said drive shaft:

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acarrier for holding a. coil of film, of a feed roller located adjacentthe axis of said carrier for unwinding said coil from its center, asecond feed roller arranged in angular relation to said first mentionedfeed-roller, and means for driving said feed-rollers at the same rateofspeed.

12. In a motion-picture machine, the com bination with the drive shaftof said machine, of a horizontally disposed rotatable carrier forholding a coil of film, a vertical feed-roller mounted adjacent the axisof said carriage for unwinding said coil from its center, a horizontalfeed-roller arranged to receive the film-after it is fed from' saidvertical feed roller, means whereby said horizontal feed roller isdriven from said drive shaft, and gear connections between said feedrollers whereby said vertical feedroller is driven at the same rate ofspeed as said horizontal feed-roller.

13. In a motion-picture machine, the combination withthe drive shaft ofsaid machine, a central stationary disk, 9. carrier rotatable about saidcentral disk as an axis, said carrier forming a support for a coil offilm, an upstanding railing secured to said disk near the circumferencethereof, a vertical feed roller mounted upon said disk within saidrailing for unwinding said coil from its center, a horizontal feedroller arranged to receive the film after it is fed from said verticalfeed roller, means whereby said horizontal feed roller is driven fromsaid drive shaft, and ear connections between said feed-rollers w erebysaid vertical feedroller is driven at the same rate of speed as saidhorizontal feedroller.

In witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe my name this th day ofJanuary,A. D.,

EDWARD B. FEASTER. Witnesses:

MCGLELLAN YOUNG, GEORGE E. FOLK.

